Crispy Tart Crust

I've loved tart crusts ever since I can remember. After making it myself and trying several recipes, I've finally settled on this recipe. It's a really crispy and light tart crust like a thick cookie,that matches any filling well. I've included tips for lining a mold with it too.

Ingredients: 18 cm tart pan worth

Steps

1.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cube the butter into 1 cm and chill. If you have a food processor, put all the ingredients except for the egg and process. If you don't have a food processor, put the butter and the ※ ingredients in a bowl, and mix together with your hands until it is crumbly.

2.
Add the beaten egg and fold it in without kneading. When the dough comes together, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Grease the tart pan lightly with butter and dust with flour.

3.
Roll the dough out on a dusted work surface with a rolling pin. Line the pan with the rolled dough, and then press down gently so that it slightly sticks out of the edges of the pan. That way, even if the crust shrinks, it will be just right.

4.
Prick holes with a fork and bake. If you are going to bake it again later with a cheese or almond cream filling, bake the empty crust for 8.5 minutes at 190°C If you're going to fill the tart with cold custard or fruit and not bake the crust, bake it for 20 minutes at 170°C.

5.
When the crust is baked, it will have risen or shrunken in different parts. When it has cooled down a little, press down slightly while it's still warm! Use a sheet of parchment paper or a clean kitchen towel to level the crust surface.

Story Behind this Recipe

I've always loved the crust part of tarts so much so that I always ate it last. Many recipes call for lining a mold with crust, adding the filling and baking it all together, but for tart crust lovers like me, they always end up tasting uncooked, and I've been disappointed many times. By baking the crust at a high temperature beforehand, it becomes crispy and nutty. The almond flour adds depth to the flavor, so even if the crust is thick, it will be delicious.

Helpful Hints

Having baked many a tart without using pie weights, I've been able to come up with a way to bake a beautiful crust without the weights. If you want to use up the egg, just double the ingredient amounts and for 2 tarts' worth. You can freeze the unbaked dough, and it's on the sweet side too, so it's also delicious rolled and baked as cookies.